Traditionally, tourists have trekked to the star of Thailand’s north in search of M.E.A.T.: markets, elephants, artisans and temples. And Chiang Mai, a laid-back old riverside city whose population (fewer than 200,000) is a fraction of Bangkok’s (more than eight million), obliges those fantasies. But these days the 700-year-old city is brimming with far more modern attractions, too, namely the works of artists and designers. Thanks to a blossoming creative scene, a Chiang Mai weekend now offers the chance to soak up contemporary art in world-class exhibition spaces, purchase stylish 21st-century design in new shops and craft villages, and sleep in gallery-like new hotels, from the frivolous to the fancy. The culinary and night life scenes are also thriving, with ambitious upstart restaurants and a buzzing bar district joining the city’s traditional eating rooms and street-food zones.

传统上，千里迢迢前往泰国北部之星的游客们，寻找的是M.E.A.T.：市场(markets)、大象(elephants)、匠人(artisans)和寺庙(temples)。清迈作为一座休闲的河畔古城，完全能满足所有这些幻想；它的人口不到20万，是曼谷800万人口的一个零头。但这座拥有700年历史的城市，现在也充满了很多的现代景点，即那些来自艺术家和设计师的作品。由于创作领域的繁荣，现在在清迈过周末，就有机会在世界级的展览空间里领略当代艺术，在新的店铺和工艺村购买21世纪的时尚设计，在画廊般的新酒店里过夜，价格有简有奢。美食和夜生活也是相当热闹，雄心勃勃的新餐厅和一个喧闹的酒吧区，与该城传统的餐厅和路边美食区成鼎立之势。

Friday周五

1) 5 p.m. HANDMADE HAVEN1）

下午5点 手工艺品的聚集地

Handmade creations abound along Charoenrat Road. Siam meets Soho at Woo, a cafe and concept store that blooms with Thai creativity — literally — starting with plants and exquisite floral arrangements. The upstairs art gallery exhibits painting and sculpture, while the boutique’s wide-ranging collection includes rice extract lip balm, minimalist ceramics, kaleidoscopic hippie-chic dresses and a skull covered with tiny white seashells. Down the street, The Meeting Room Art Cafe is piled with stacks of prints and canvases by local artists — all for sale. 

Charoenrat路是买手工艺品的好地方。暹罗和苏荷在Woo相遇。这是一家咖啡馆和概念店，泰式创意在这里绽放——是真的有花朵绽放——从植物和精致的插花开始。楼上的艺廊展出绘画和雕塑，而精品店里的商品则包罗万象，有大米提取物润唇膏、极简主义风格的陶瓷、千变万化的嬉皮风连衣裙，以及覆盖着白色小贝壳的骷髅。沿街而行，你会看到The Meeting Room Art Cafe咖啡馆，里面堆满了当地艺术家的版画和油画作品（全都可以出售）。

周六

2) 10 a.m. WISDOM OF THE WAT4）

上午10点：寺院的智慧

First the bad news: “All things arise, exist and expire.” On the other hand: “Detachment is a great way to relax.” Such are just a few of the maxims on signs that adorn trees in Wat Umong, a forested sprawl of temples, pavilions, statues, fountains and lakes. Founded in the late 13th century and still home to many Buddhist monks, the complex is best known for its bell-shaped, 14th-century stone pagoda. Beat the heat by arriving in the morning and taking a meditative stroll amid a soundtrack of birds, roosters, chants and bells.

先是坏消息：“万物成住坏空。”另一方面：“超然是放松的好办法。”这些是写在悟孟寺(Wat Umong)树木标志上的一些格言，庞大的悟孟寺位于森林之中，有寺庙、亭子、雕像、喷泉和湖泊。该建筑群建于13世纪末，如今仍然是许多佛教僧侣的家园，这里最出名的是14世纪的钟形石塔。趁着早上凉快赶去那里，在鸟儿、公鸡、诵咏和铃铛的伴奏下，沉下心来漫步。